Oscar Troplowitz

Who was Oscar Troplowitz?

Oscar Troplowitz was a German pharmacist and entrepreneur.

In 1890 he purchased Beiersdorf AG, which at the time was a chemist's shop and laboratory in Hamburg run by Paul Carl Beiersdorf. Soon afterwards, Troplowitz expanded the company into selling brand-name merchandise as well.

Under Troplowitz's ownership, the company developed several of its own products, including Nivea, Leukoplast, Labello, and a pressure-sensitive tape that would later be known as "Tesafilm". As did Paul Beiersdorf, Troplowitz maintained a close business relationship with dermatologist Paul Gerson Unna. It was from a recommendation by Unna, that Troplowitz hire Isaak Lifschütz, a chemist who was the discoverer of the emulsifying agent Eucerit, the main ingredient in Nivea.

Troplowitz made several reforms in regards to worker benefits at Beiersdorf, such as paid vacations, maternity leave, and a 48-hour work week.